Dance Your Ass Off

Saturday morning I trudged to the NYSC in Union Square to meet Giggles to try our first Zumba class.  Now I'm usually more of a treadmill/elliptical followed by weights kind of girl with my classes limited to bootcamp or yoga, but I was curious to check out the workout I've seen in those loud, hyperactive late night infomercials.  I assembled with the other Zumba goers in the exercise studio to stretch a little and look around for Giggles, but she's nowhere to be seen.  Seconds before the packed class is supposed to begin, she comes running in with a story of how she had to take a cab because she accidentally showed up at the wrong location - very Giggles-like.  Suddenly, we were assaulted by fast paced Latin music and our petite and energetic instructor with her head full of bouncy curls, started the warm up.  "Aaaa-nd march!" she yelled, her knees high, twisting her hips, and raising her arms from her waist up to the ceiling. "Aaaa-nd rumba!!!" grinning widely as she danced along with intricate steps to the music.  I got a peek at the mirror and me and Giggles's confused, jittery movements and broke down in laughter - we were in some SERIOUS trouble!

(the site of our merengue mess)

Fortunately for us, EVERYBODY in the damn class was also skipping along frantically looking more like a room full of people desperately trying to locate a fire exit than a dance inspired fitness class.  I'm not sure how the instructor kept from dissolving into a fit of giggles at the sight of all of us!  The music continued to pound in my ears and the moves continued to grow increasingly more bizarre.  For the first half hour we endured shouts of "Aaaa-nd shake!", "Aaaa-nd shimmy!!", "Now sli-iiiide!!!!"  As  we uncomfortably body rolled, mechanically circled our hips and clumsily threw our hands up in the air about a half step behind the instructor, I was beginning to understand why Zumba is a HOME exercise video phenomenon!

(somewhere in this class is a gyrating ponytailed man...)

In the second half, there was a reggaeton set to some song I had never heard of but I liked the stomping, some fun booty shaking to "Bootylicious" by Beyonce and we dropped it like it's hot to "Rude Boy" by Rihanna.  This music was infinitely better than the rabid Latin music with unrecognizable lyrics in Spanish and occasional hoots of "I love Zumba!"  However, there was one strange "toning" set to "Stereo Love" which interspersed squats and lunges with moves that seemed like an attempt to seduce myself publicly - interesting.  I stiffly followed along, refusing to be conquered by a bunch of silly salsa steps (though Shakira, I was not), while Giggles had pretty much given up on the arm movements unable to coordinate her top and bottom halves.  Somehow, we managed to last the entire hour.  Would I do this class again?  Maybe for a good laugh, but come Monday, back to the treadmill for this girl.